Jaager

There are additional factors to doing this in a way that helps with the result being as optimal as possible.
Use an appropriate species of wood - tight straight grain - no pores.  Dense is probably good.
Split the square starting stock from its plank.  A split will be along the grain so the wood will be at equilibrium with its natural orientation from the start.
Using a saw will probably be a cut across the grain - usually at a sharp angle - when free from other fibers the angled fibers may seek  to be straight.
Look up froe for the traditional tool for splitting along the grain and Bamboo froe for a smaller version without the right angle handle. 
 

When the dimensions are large enough that wood will work, it is probably imperative to replace plastic spars (masts, yards, booms) with wooden ones -  unless you like the top hamper looking like a Willow tree.
 
For plastic spars in kits in 1:96 or small scale, I see some of the yards as being too small for wood to work well - even though plastic is significantly less appropriate.
The real recommendation from the professional end of this  is to use brass when wood is too weak.  Maybe, the half hard brass welding rods? 
I have never seen any brass for sale that is harder than half hard.  
 
Working it down from square stock is probably superior to using a lathe for any spar, but for the really small diameter stock, a lathe's lateral force will probably break a higher portion than it has success with.  The rings across the grain that a lathe cutter makes  are probably near impossible to totally erase.
 
I thought this is the explicit source:  SHIP MODEL CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES  1980  - DEPT. OF SALES AND SERVICE - MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM   
it is mentioned - but maybe it is from the USN museums standards.     The idea of using brass does not exactly fill me with joy, but there is probably no practical alternative.                 
 

A 90 degree channel   45 degrees L  45 degrees R   - probably will need several with a range of depths  
Way back when,  it seemed to me that every "how to build ship models" book covered this method.
 
A miniature block plane,
scrapers - small steel luthiers , a freshly broken piece of glass, a single edge razor blade or carpet knife blade in a homemade wooden holder.
StewMac has a small flat razor file that eats wood yet leaves a smooth surface (if you get serious about this - they also have one named  Ultimate mini scraper - a bit dear in cost, sold out right now, and something you don't want to drop if your working surface is a tempered glass plate with beveled edges - it has some heft/mass.
warding files
 
Save the sandpaper until the end. 
 
Try Hard Maple for your masts -  
Birch dowels are made using something like a cork borer - straight grain along the whole length is just luck.

A 90 degree channel   45 degrees L  45 degrees R   - probably will need several with a range of depths  
Way back when,  it seemed to me that every "how to build ship models" book covered this method.
 
A miniature block plane,
scrapers - small steel luthiers , a freshly broken piece of glass, a single edge razor blade or carpet knife blade in a homemade wooden holder.
StewMac has a small flat razor file that eats wood yet leaves a smooth surface (if you get serious about this - they also have one named  Ultimate mini scraper - a bit dear in cost, sold out right now, and something you don't want to drop if your working surface is a tempered glass plate with beveled edges - it has some heft/mass.
warding files
 
Save the sandpaper until the end. 
 
Try Hard Maple for your masts -  
Birch dowels are made using something like a cork borer - straight grain along the whole length is just luck.

There are additional factors to doing this in a way that helps with the result being as optimal as possible.
Use an appropriate species of wood - tight straight grain - no pores.  Dense is probably good.
Split the square starting stock from its plank.  A split will be along the grain so the wood will be at equilibrium with its natural orientation from the start.
Using a saw will probably be a cut across the grain - usually at a sharp angle - when free from other fibers the angled fibers may seek  to be straight.
Look up froe for the traditional tool for splitting along the grain and Bamboo froe for a smaller version without the right angle handle. 
 

When the dimensions are large enough that wood will work, it is probably imperative to replace plastic spars (masts, yards, booms) with wooden ones -  unless you like the top hamper looking like a Willow tree.
 
For plastic spars in kits in 1:96 or small scale, I see some of the yards as being too small for wood to work well - even though plastic is significantly less appropriate.
The real recommendation from the professional end of this  is to use brass when wood is too weak.  Maybe, the half hard brass welding rods? 
I have never seen any brass for sale that is harder than half hard.  
 
Working it down from square stock is probably superior to using a lathe for any spar, but for the really small diameter stock, a lathe's lateral force will probably break a higher portion than it has success with.  The rings across the grain that a lathe cutter makes  are probably near impossible to totally erase.
 
I thought this is the explicit source:  SHIP MODEL CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES  1980  - DEPT. OF SALES AND SERVICE - MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM   
it is mentioned - but maybe it is from the USN museums standards.     The idea of using brass does not exactly fill me with joy, but there is probably no practical alternative.                 
 

There are additional factors to doing this in a way that helps with the result being as optimal as possible.
Use an appropriate species of wood - tight straight grain - no pores.  Dense is probably good.
Split the square starting stock from its plank.  A split will be along the grain so the wood will be at equilibrium with its natural orientation from the start.
Using a saw will probably be a cut across the grain - usually at a sharp angle - when free from other fibers the angled fibers may seek  to be straight.
Look up froe for the traditional tool for splitting along the grain and Bamboo froe for a smaller version without the right angle handle. 
 

When the dimensions are large enough that wood will work, it is probably imperative to replace plastic spars (masts, yards, booms) with wooden ones -  unless you like the top hamper looking like a Willow tree.
 
For plastic spars in kits in 1:96 or small scale, I see some of the yards as being too small for wood to work well - even though plastic is significantly less appropriate.
The real recommendation from the professional end of this  is to use brass when wood is too weak.  Maybe, the half hard brass welding rods? 
I have never seen any brass for sale that is harder than half hard.  
 
Working it down from square stock is probably superior to using a lathe for any spar, but for the really small diameter stock, a lathe's lateral force will probably break a higher portion than it has success with.  The rings across the grain that a lathe cutter makes  are probably near impossible to totally erase.
 
I thought this is the explicit source:  SHIP MODEL CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES  1980  - DEPT. OF SALES AND SERVICE - MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM   
it is mentioned - but maybe it is from the USN museums standards.     The idea of using brass does not exactly fill me with joy, but there is probably no practical alternative.                 
 

There are additional factors to doing this in a way that helps with the result being as optimal as possible.
Use an appropriate species of wood - tight straight grain - no pores.  Dense is probably good.
Split the square starting stock from its plank.  A split will be along the grain so the wood will be at equilibrium with its natural orientation from the start.
Using a saw will probably be a cut across the grain - usually at a sharp angle - when free from other fibers the angled fibers may seek  to be straight.
Look up froe for the traditional tool for splitting along the grain and Bamboo froe for a smaller version without the right angle handle. 
 

When the dimensions are large enough that wood will work, it is probably imperative to replace plastic spars (masts, yards, booms) with wooden ones -  unless you like the top hamper looking like a Willow tree.
 
For plastic spars in kits in 1:96 or small scale, I see some of the yards as being too small for wood to work well - even though plastic is significantly less appropriate.
The real recommendation from the professional end of this  is to use brass when wood is too weak.  Maybe, the half hard brass welding rods? 
I have never seen any brass for sale that is harder than half hard.  
 
Working it down from square stock is probably superior to using a lathe for any spar, but for the really small diameter stock, a lathe's lateral force will probably break a higher portion than it has success with.  The rings across the grain that a lathe cutter makes  are probably near impossible to totally erase.
 
I thought this is the explicit source:  SHIP MODEL CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES  1980  - DEPT. OF SALES AND SERVICE - MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM   
it is mentioned - but maybe it is from the USN museums standards.     The idea of using brass does not exactly fill me with joy, but there is probably no practical alternative.                 
 

When the dimensions are large enough that wood will work, it is probably imperative to replace plastic spars (masts, yards, booms) with wooden ones -  unless you like the top hamper looking like a Willow tree.
 
For plastic spars in kits in 1:96 or small scale, I see some of the yards as being too small for wood to work well - even though plastic is significantly less appropriate.
The real recommendation from the professional end of this  is to use brass when wood is too weak.  Maybe, the half hard brass welding rods? 
I have never seen any brass for sale that is harder than half hard.  
 
Working it down from square stock is probably superior to using a lathe for any spar, but for the really small diameter stock, a lathe's lateral force will probably break a higher portion than it has success with.  The rings across the grain that a lathe cutter makes  are probably near impossible to totally erase.
 
I thought this is the explicit source:  SHIP MODEL CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES  1980  - DEPT. OF SALES AND SERVICE - MYSTIC SEAPORT MUSEUM   
it is mentioned - but maybe it is from the USN museums standards.     The idea of using brass does not exactly fill me with joy, but there is probably no practical alternative.                 
 

An add-on kit with a barge tow with riprap or coal and another with rails.  There was a while here when tows with rail cars were transported over to the Delmarva peninsula more or less continuously. 

Dave,
 
Perhaps those of you on your island could:  take a hostage, form a mob with pitchforks and torches (Universal's b/w Frankenstein), or find a self aware Suit  at Pen & Sword/Seaforth/Conway and get them to reissue the Model Shipwright journals on CD and/or USB stick.

An add-on kit with a barge tow with riprap or coal and another with rails.  There was a while here when tows with rail cars were transported over to the Delmarva peninsula more or less continuously. 

I harvested and cut into billets some Holly from a cousin's land.   When I rip cut it water almost squirted from the end as the blade pushed it.  This told me two two things:  Holly contains a lot of water.  Holly pore channels are highways.   Blue mold will out race you unless the Holly is harvested in Winter and unless the cut ends are sealed and the wood immediately goes into a kiln.  I did not wish to case harden my supply, so I set the temp in my foam box to be just a bit higher than what I thought a fungus could survive.
The strain of Holly on my cousin's wood lot is yellow, not snow white.
 
From my traditionalist perspective, you are not in trouble at all!
No species of wood used for an actual ship was snow white,  so the color of Holly that is sold does not fit a ship model.
The yellow - or blue - or grey (which is what some of my infected stock is) is actually more appropriate.
The Blue Mold fungus does not affect the structural integrity of the wood.  Holly is neigh on to perfect for us.  It works for part quite well and for planking, nothing else bends quite as well. The grey or yellow would closely match the color of an actual deck - Sun bleached and salt water abuse.  For tar foot prints and drips from standing rigging additional color is needed.  The snow white decks planked with marquetry Holly is flash and not realistic.
Holly readily takes a dye.  Perfect for black wales.  The blue will probably want a dye if you paint with wood.  Alcohol based aniline dyes -  I do not see that the additional depth from water based aniline dyes would show at model scales.  It would just add a grain swelling problem and a longer drying time.
 
Unless you are dead set on having it be snow white - you are golden.   Holly over here is now absurdly expensive.  I suspect sawyers trash or burn infected or off color Holly.  Would that I could contact one and take what he thinks is trash off of his hands.

An add-on kit with a barge tow with riprap or coal and another with rails.  There was a while here when tows with rail cars were transported over to the Delmarva peninsula more or less continuously. 

I bought the Sea Gull plans for Red Jacket and started the lofting.  The plans are 1/8" : 1'.  I loft at 1/4", but man! this is a huge ship.  The hull at the main deck is close to 250 feet long.  I do 1:60  and while anyone mad enough to build her at 1/4" would start with a 5.2 foot long hull less spars,  at 1:60 , it is
a daunting 4.2 foot beast. 
Wm Crothers' plans are still available - they are pretty detailed, but since they are drawn to support both solid hull and POF, I would not be surprised if Blue Jacket did not use Crothers as a basis for their plans.  Red Jacket has specific entries in his The American-Built Clipper Ship.
 
You will have quite a project there even at 1/8" scale, which is close to being in the miniature realm .
Wood Craft has some pretty thin veneer of Maple, Cherry and other species that scale to 1:96 OK,  so might consider planking the hull and choosing an anti-fouling paint color wood for the submerged part of the hull.  This would add additional time for the build.

I harvested and cut into billets some Holly from a cousin's land.   When I rip cut it water almost squirted from the end as the blade pushed it.  This told me two two things:  Holly contains a lot of water.  Holly pore channels are highways.   Blue mold will out race you unless the Holly is harvested in Winter and unless the cut ends are sealed and the wood immediately goes into a kiln.  I did not wish to case harden my supply, so I set the temp in my foam box to be just a bit higher than what I thought a fungus could survive.
The strain of Holly on my cousin's wood lot is yellow, not snow white.
 
From my traditionalist perspective, you are not in trouble at all!
No species of wood used for an actual ship was snow white,  so the color of Holly that is sold does not fit a ship model.
The yellow - or blue - or grey (which is what some of my infected stock is) is actually more appropriate.
The Blue Mold fungus does not affect the structural integrity of the wood.  Holly is neigh on to perfect for us.  It works for part quite well and for planking, nothing else bends quite as well. The grey or yellow would closely match the color of an actual deck - Sun bleached and salt water abuse.  For tar foot prints and drips from standing rigging additional color is needed.  The snow white decks planked with marquetry Holly is flash and not realistic.
Holly readily takes a dye.  Perfect for black wales.  The blue will probably want a dye if you paint with wood.  Alcohol based aniline dyes -  I do not see that the additional depth from water based aniline dyes would show at model scales.  It would just add a grain swelling problem and a longer drying time.
 
Unless you are dead set on having it be snow white - you are golden.   Holly over here is now absurdly expensive.  I suspect sawyers trash or burn infected or off color Holly.  Would that I could contact one and take what he thinks is trash off of his hands.

I harvested and cut into billets some Holly from a cousin's land.   When I rip cut it water almost squirted from the end as the blade pushed it.  This told me two two things:  Holly contains a lot of water.  Holly pore channels are highways.   Blue mold will out race you unless the Holly is harvested in Winter and unless the cut ends are sealed and the wood immediately goes into a kiln.  I did not wish to case harden my supply, so I set the temp in my foam box to be just a bit higher than what I thought a fungus could survive.
The strain of Holly on my cousin's wood lot is yellow, not snow white.
 
From my traditionalist perspective, you are not in trouble at all!
No species of wood used for an actual ship was snow white,  so the color of Holly that is sold does not fit a ship model.
The yellow - or blue - or grey (which is what some of my infected stock is) is actually more appropriate.
The Blue Mold fungus does not affect the structural integrity of the wood.  Holly is neigh on to perfect for us.  It works for part quite well and for planking, nothing else bends quite as well. The grey or yellow would closely match the color of an actual deck - Sun bleached and salt water abuse.  For tar foot prints and drips from standing rigging additional color is needed.  The snow white decks planked with marquetry Holly is flash and not realistic.
Holly readily takes a dye.  Perfect for black wales.  The blue will probably want a dye if you paint with wood.  Alcohol based aniline dyes -  I do not see that the additional depth from water based aniline dyes would show at model scales.  It would just add a grain swelling problem and a longer drying time.
 
Unless you are dead set on having it be snow white - you are golden.   Holly over here is now absurdly expensive.  I suspect sawyers trash or burn infected or off color Holly.  Would that I could contact one and take what he thinks is trash off of his hands.

I harvested and cut into billets some Holly from a cousin's land.   When I rip cut it water almost squirted from the end as the blade pushed it.  This told me two two things:  Holly contains a lot of water.  Holly pore channels are highways.   Blue mold will out race you unless the Holly is harvested in Winter and unless the cut ends are sealed and the wood immediately goes into a kiln.  I did not wish to case harden my supply, so I set the temp in my foam box to be just a bit higher than what I thought a fungus could survive.
The strain of Holly on my cousin's wood lot is yellow, not snow white.
 
From my traditionalist perspective, you are not in trouble at all!
No species of wood used for an actual ship was snow white,  so the color of Holly that is sold does not fit a ship model.
The yellow - or blue - or grey (which is what some of my infected stock is) is actually more appropriate.
The Blue Mold fungus does not affect the structural integrity of the wood.  Holly is neigh on to perfect for us.  It works for part quite well and for planking, nothing else bends quite as well. The grey or yellow would closely match the color of an actual deck - Sun bleached and salt water abuse.  For tar foot prints and drips from standing rigging additional color is needed.  The snow white decks planked with marquetry Holly is flash and not realistic.
Holly readily takes a dye.  Perfect for black wales.  The blue will probably want a dye if you paint with wood.  Alcohol based aniline dyes -  I do not see that the additional depth from water based aniline dyes would show at model scales.  It would just add a grain swelling problem and a longer drying time.
 
Unless you are dead set on having it be snow white - you are golden.   Holly over here is now absurdly expensive.  I suspect sawyers trash or burn infected or off color Holly.  Would that I could contact one and take what he thinks is trash off of his hands.

I harvested and cut into billets some Holly from a cousin's land.   When I rip cut it water almost squirted from the end as the blade pushed it.  This told me two two things:  Holly contains a lot of water.  Holly pore channels are highways.   Blue mold will out race you unless the Holly is harvested in Winter and unless the cut ends are sealed and the wood immediately goes into a kiln.  I did not wish to case harden my supply, so I set the temp in my foam box to be just a bit higher than what I thought a fungus could survive.
The strain of Holly on my cousin's wood lot is yellow, not snow white.
 
From my traditionalist perspective, you are not in trouble at all!
No species of wood used for an actual ship was snow white,  so the color of Holly that is sold does not fit a ship model.
The yellow - or blue - or grey (which is what some of my infected stock is) is actually more appropriate.
The Blue Mold fungus does not affect the structural integrity of the wood.  Holly is neigh on to perfect for us.  It works for part quite well and for planking, nothing else bends quite as well. The grey or yellow would closely match the color of an actual deck - Sun bleached and salt water abuse.  For tar foot prints and drips from standing rigging additional color is needed.  The snow white decks planked with marquetry Holly is flash and not realistic.
Holly readily takes a dye.  Perfect for black wales.  The blue will probably want a dye if you paint with wood.  Alcohol based aniline dyes -  I do not see that the additional depth from water based aniline dyes would show at model scales.  It would just add a grain swelling problem and a longer drying time.
 
Unless you are dead set on having it be snow white - you are golden.   Holly over here is now absurdly expensive.  I suspect sawyers trash or burn infected or off color Holly.  Would that I could contact one and take what he thinks is trash off of his hands.

Dave,
 
Perhaps those of you on your island could:  take a hostage, form a mob with pitchforks and torches (Universal's b/w Frankenstein), or find a self aware Suit  at Pen & Sword/Seaforth/Conway and get them to reissue the Model Shipwright journals on CD and/or USB stick.

Dave,
 
Perhaps those of you on your island could:  take a hostage, form a mob with pitchforks and torches (Universal's b/w Frankenstein), or find a self aware Suit  at Pen & Sword/Seaforth/Conway and get them to reissue the Model Shipwright journals on CD and/or USB stick.

Micha,
Any of the four varieties of PVA: white, yellow,  yellow water resistant, yellow water proof  - produce a bond that is similar in strength - not enough difference (if any) to shelve what you have now.  With any of it    the wood will probably tear apart at the bond before the PVA gives way.
I have the thought that Gorilla yellow is Tightbond II with a different label.  Gorilla white is probably Elmer's white, Titebond clear with a different label. 
 
The significant difference with PVA is  the more resistant to water it is the more acidic it is 
 
white = pH 4.5 - 5.5
I =  pH 3.5-4.5
II = pH 3.0
III =  pH 2.5-3.5
 
Not any water when dry - so no hydrogen ions crashing around -  It will out gas acetic acid but so do some species of wood - which is only something to consider if the model is in a case with no ventilation or if there are fittings with Lead as part of the mix.

Micha,
Any of the four varieties of PVA: white, yellow,  yellow water resistant, yellow water proof  - produce a bond that is similar in strength - not enough difference (if any) to shelve what you have now.  With any of it    the wood will probably tear apart at the bond before the PVA gives way.
I have the thought that Gorilla yellow is Tightbond II with a different label.  Gorilla white is probably Elmer's white, Titebond clear with a different label. 
 
The significant difference with PVA is  the more resistant to water it is the more acidic it is 
 
white = pH 4.5 - 5.5
I =  pH 3.5-4.5
II = pH 3.0
III =  pH 2.5-3.5
 
Not any water when dry - so no hydrogen ions crashing around -  It will out gas acetic acid but so do some species of wood - which is only something to consider if the model is in a case with no ventilation or if there are fittings with Lead as part of the mix.